The 50 Best Albums of 2008

49

Hot Chip MADE IN THE DARK DFA/Astralwerks

With irresistible party-starters like "Bendable Poseable," Made in the Dark proves Hot Chip's status as international hipster darlings is entirely warranted. But what elevates this British electro-pop quintet is their wit. Giddiest moment: the rising cry in "Wrestlers" of "Half-nelson, full-nelson, Willie Nelson!"

50

No Age NOUNS Sub Pop

This L.A. duo want to take punk back to its art-rock roots. Nouns is a thrilling string of two- and three-minute guitar rants punctuated by rough-edged ambient soundscapes. And the album's low-fi, high-wattage aesthetic channels the heart of SST Records, which defined art-punk ambition in the Eighties.

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